Bag latch



M. MILLER BAG LATCH March 20, 1928.` l 1,663,383

Fi1 ed Fab. 8, 1927 3 ATTORNEY M97 Z5 I "754 BY W, 'Y Y Patented Mar. y 20, 1928.

UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

MIURBY MILLER, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

k:me Laren.

Application med February 8, 1927. Serial No. 166,759.

This invention relates to latches for handy ticles.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision in a hand bag or similar article, of a strong, durable and practical means for releasably latching Viframe sections of the hand bag or similar article.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a latch which will be of dual character i-n that it will function as a snap fastener, as well vas to effectively hold kthe frame sections of the hand bag Vagainst pulling and other forces and strains tendingto move the frame sections to an opened relationship. j

The nature of the invention Vand its distinguishing fea-tures and advantages will ap- Vpear when the following specification is read in connection-with4 the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation looking down on a common type of `hand bag embodying the latch of the present invention, the .frame sections of the bag being held in aclosed,

relationship by the latch.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. .1, showing the frame sections of the bag unlatched and in'an opened relationship. l

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of thefbag and latch as show-n in Fig. 1, a portion of the bag being Lbroken away. o

lFig. 4 is an elevation of the sliding element of bolt forming a part of the atch.

As stated,'the latch of the'present invention will be employed in conjunction with the frame of a hand bag, pocketbook or similar article. Therefore, in the drawing there has been illustrated a hand bag 10 having ya frame consisting-of two substan-k tially similar sections 11 and 12 which vare hingedly connected together at opposite sides as at 13. The .receptacle body of the bag is connected in any preferred manner Vwith the frame sections 11 and 12. The `frame sections 11 and 12 are adapted tov be lmoved to an opened and a closed relationship.

The latch of the present invention includes a `tubular member 14 which is secured to the top of the framesection 11 in any suitablemanner such as by soldering orjriveting which opens through the open end of the tubular member. The slot 15 terminates short of the opposite end of the tubular member 14, which is closed as at 16. A 00 second tubular member 17 is provided, and 1s substantially similar to the tubular member 1,4 in that it is ofthe same diameter, and is approximately of the same length.

The tubular member 17 is secured to the top 05 of the frame section 12 in any suitable manner such as by soldering or riveting. The tubular member 17 has an L-shaped slot, the branch l18 of which opens through the Vopen end of the tubular member, and the branch 19 of which Vextends circumferentially a short distance of the tubular member, thus providing a projection 20. The opposite end of the tubular member 17 is closed as at 21. When the frame sections 11 and 75 12 are brought to a closed` relationship, the tubular members 14 and 17 will be in alignment as shown most clearly in Fig. 1, and

the slot-s respectively in the tubular members will be in communication with each other. f An element in the form of a bolt 22 is employed, the said bolt being slidably associated with the tubular members 14 and 17 to releasably hold the frame sections in a closed relationship. The bolt 22 has an 85 apertured lugv or eyelet 23 at one end. The lug 4or eyeletv 1s adapted for connection with a pull tab 24. The bolt 22 is preferably inserted in the tubular member 17, and is of such length that when one end is in contact with the endwall 21, the opposite rounded end 25 will project slightly from the related end of the tubular member 17,

as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. When the bolt 22 is movedinto the tubular member 95 member 17. The bolt 22 will be held against 100 sliding movement in one direction by reason of the fact that the lug 23 will be confronted by the projection 2O and the bolt 22 will be held against sliding movement in the opposite direction by the opposite wall of the 10i L-shaped slot.

Attention is now called to the fact that the frame sections 11 and 12 are permitted to have relative longitudinal movement to a slight degree by virtue of the flexibility of the members of the trame sections 11 and 12. Therefore, when the bolt 22 is slid home in the tubular member 17 with the lug 23 in the branch 19 of the L-shaped slot, it is possible to either move the trame sections 11 and 12 to a closed relationship or to an opened relationship. These performances are accompanied by a coaction of the rounded end 25 with the edge 26 of the tubular member 14. The eect obtained is similar to that obtained with a snap fastener. When the frame sections 11 and 12 are brought to a closed relationship, the said sections will move longitudinally slightly with respect to each other, due to the coaction of the rounded 4end 25 with the edge 26, and said rounded end 25 will project into the adjacent end of the tubular member 17. The frame sections 11 and 12 will thus be releasably held in a closed relationship. The frame section 11 has connected therewith a loop 27. By taking hold of the loop 27 with one hand, and the tab 24 with the other hand, the necessary pulling torce may be exerted to move the trame sections 11 and 12 to the opened relationship. A pull on the tab 24 would eli'ect the opened relationship of the frame sections 11 and 12, will always insure the lug 22 being in the branch 19 of the L-shaped slot, and the bolt 22 will therefore be held against unintentional sliding movement out of the tubular member 17.

In order to elfectively hold the frame sections 11 and 12 in a closed relationship, the

bolt 22 may be slid to extend into the tubular member 14. This is accomplished after the frame sections 11 and 12 have been brought together, whereupon the lug 23 is moved from the branch 19 of the L-shaped slot to a. position in which it may slide from the branch 18 of the L-shaped slot into the slot 15 in the tubular member 14. The bolt 22 may be slid by exerting a pull on the tab 24 until the lug 23 engages the end wall of the slot 15, thus limiting sliding movement of the bolt 22 to a position in which the opposite end thereof, because of the length of the bolt will extend into the tubular memvber 17. It will therefore be understood that it is possible to hold the :trame sections 11 and 12 in a closed relationship against unintentional pulling and other forces and strains tending to move the frame sections to an opened relationship.

It is to be understood that the invention is not restricted to the precise arrangement of parts shown and described, as details of construction may be modii'ied and rearranged without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope ot which is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections, lof a latch consisting of a bolt movably associated with two tubular members respectively carried by said hingedly connected sections,

and said bolt having means movable into and out of slots respectively in said tubular members for effecting the movement of said bolt, so as to latch and unlatch the sections of said bag frame.

2. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections, ot a latch consisting of a bolt slidably and turnably associated with two tubular members respectively carried by said hingedly connected sections, and said bolt having means movable into and out of slots respectively in said tubular members for effecting the sliding and turning movement of said bolt, so as to latch and unlatch the sections ot said bag frame.

3. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections, of a latch consisting of a bolt 'slidably associated with two tubular members respectively carried by said hingedly connected sections, and the bolt being of a length to extend into both of said tubular members to latch -said trame sections in a closed relationship in one position of said bolt, subject to movement to an opened relationship by the exertion of a pulling force applied to eli'ect the movement of the frame sections to the open relationship, and said bolt being slidable to another position so that one end thereof will act in conjunction with the tubular members to hold said frame sections latched in a closed relationship against a pulling force applied to effect the movement of the frame sections to the opened relationship.

4. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections, of a latch consisting of a bolt slidably associated with two tubular members respectively carried by said hingedly connected section-s, one end of the bolt adapted to coa-ct with one end of one of said tubular members when the bolt is in one position, the frame sections capable of being sprung apart in the coac- U0 tion of the bolt with the end of the tubular member, said bolt end and the end of the t-ubular member serving to releasably hold the frame sections in a closed relationship, and subject to a pulling force for effecting U5 the movement of the frame sections to an opened relationship.

5. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections. of tubular members respectively secured to said sections, an element slidably associated with said tubular members, one of said tubular members having an elongated slot opening through one end thereof, the other tubular kmember having an B -shaped slot opening through one end thereof, one slot connecting with the other slot when the tubular members are in alignment, a tab lug on one end of the element, the lug coacting with the end wall of the elongated slot to limit the movement of said element in one direction, said lug also capable of coacting with the Walls of the L-shaped slot to prevent the sliding movement of the element.

6. The combination with a bag frame consisting of hingedly connected sections, of means coacting with the frame sections to releasably latch the frame sections in a closed relationship subject to movement to an opened relationship by the exertion of a pulling force applied to effectthe movement of the frame sections to the opened relationship, said means also serving to positively latch the frame sections in the closed relationship against a pulling force applied to effect the movement of the frame sections to the opened relationship.

7 In a bag, frame sections hingedly connected together, latch elements respectively on the frame sections, the contiguous ends of said latch elements being adapted to have frictional latching engagement in the closed relationship of said frame sections, and fastener means on said frame sections additional to said latch elements and movable into and out of fastening position to positively fasten the frame sections and latch elements, in the closed position of the frame sections.

8. In a bag, frame sections hingedly connected together, latch elements` respectively on the frame sections, the contiguous ends of said latch elements being adapted to have frictional latching engagement in the closed relationship of said frame sections, and fastener means additional to said latch ele ments, said fastener mea-ns slidably supported on one frame section and movable into and out of fastening relation to the latch element carried by the other frame section.

MURRY MILLER. 

